Any cachers in Fort Wiliam area?

[+lolynn]

We have recently been up to Fort William for a week and have placed a couple of caches near to where we were staying.

 

These caches have been suspended on the basis that because we live so far away we can't maintain them if they get wet or damaged in anyway. This is due to the fact if they do get damaged they could become 'geotrash' thus giving geocachers a bad name. This is fair enough and something we weren't aware of as we have never placed caches away from home before.

 

What we need is someone in the area to 'maintain' them on our behalf in case of any problems, if anyone would like to do this for us please let us know. At most all we would ask is if there is a problem, someone goes and removes them.

 

Thanks

 

Lynn

Edited October 5, 2008 by lolynn

[+deejay44]

Might it not be a good idea if the reviewers asked if the setter was to far away to maintain caches to ask how the placer intends to maintain them before publishing?

 

Dave

[+Simply Paul]

I believe that's exactly what's happened.

[+The Blorenges]

One of the things that the Reviewer does when they receive a new cache submission is to check how far the cache is from the setter's home co-ordinates.

 

Edited highlights from the Cache Listing Requirements/Guidelines:

"As the cache owner, you are also responsible for physically checking your cache periodically, and especially when someone reports a problem with the cache (missing, damaged, wet, etc.)...

It may be difficult to fulfill your maintenance obligations if you place a cache while traveling on vacation or otherwise outside of your normal caching area. These caches may not be published unless you are able to demonstrate an acceptable maintenance plan...

If you have special circumstances, please describe your maintenance plan on your cache page. For example, if you have made arrangements with a local geocacher to watch over your distant cache for you, that geocacher’s name should be mentioned on your cache page."

 

lolynn - It might be worth putting your request onto the Scottish Forums as well as here.

 

Geofrees Forum

GeoX Forum

 

MrsB

[+Alba15]

I have put a request out on both of the scottish forums. Hope this helps.

[+Bear and Ragged]

snipped...

 

Edited highlights from the Cache Listing Requirements/Guidelines:

"As the cache owner, you are also responsible for physically checking your cache periodically, and especially when someone reports a problem with the cache (missing, damaged, wet, etc.)...

It may be difficult to fulfill your maintenance obligations if you place a cache while traveling on vacation or otherwise outside of your normal caching area. These caches may not be published unless you are able to demonstrate an acceptable maintenance plan...

If you have special circumstances, please describe your maintenance plan on your cache page. For example, if you have made arrangements with a local geocacher to watch over your distant cache for you, that geocacher’s name should be mentioned on your cache page."

 

MrsB

 

Everyone ticks the box to say they have read the rules, but has anyone noticed the bit that says "Cream cakes have to be bought for the Local Reviewers" after publication of the cache?!!

[+lolynn]

I have put a request out on both of the scottish forums. Hope this helps.

 

Thanks for that, an oversight on our behalf, we were aware of most of the rules regarding cache placement but hadn't noticed this one.

 

Incidentally where do I find the scottish forums?

[+The Blorenges]

There are links to the two Scottish forums in my post #4 above.

 

MrsB

[+Gushoneybun]

I have put a request out on both of the scottish forums. Hope this helps.

 

Thanks for that, an oversight on our behalf, we were aware of most of the rules regarding cache placement but hadn't noticed this one.

 

Incidentally where do I find the scottish forums?

 

 

See post 4, for the links.

[+lolynn]

Well it doesn't look as if there's much hope for my caches.

 

Whilst I appreciate that the caches shouldn't have been placed, would it not be better to publish the caches so that people can find them rather than them just being left to deteriorate?

 

A note could even be added to the listings so that any cacher finding them can either remove them and utilise them elsewhere or just bin them.

 

The whole purpose of the restriction on 'vacation' caches is so that they don't become geotrash, by leaving them unlisted hence unfound, is this not what they have become?

[+The Blorenges]

Only a small percentage of UK geocachers visit this forum regularly so it's likely that nobody near to Fort William has read your request.

 

Have you tried contacting the owners of other caches in the area near to where you placed yours, by going through their profile link on their cache pages? You could ask them directly whether they would be able to either help you to maintain yours or, alternatively, remove them for you?

 

MrsB

[+Teuchters]

As far as I know, there are no active cachers in the area.

 

Looking at all the caches around the Fort, most of the placers are not local (that's not to say they don't have local maintainers though).

I won't name them here, but some definitely live in England according to their profiles and others that I know or have met personally who are Scots based don't live there either.

 

The majority of caches were placed prior to the "must be a local" rule that lolynn has found. Some of the placers aren't even caching anymore.

 

I believe that the nearest (active) cachers probably live over 50 miles away unfortunately.

 

Posted by an active Scotland based cacher who is also one of the previously mentioned forum administrators.

[+lolynn]

As far as I know, there are no active cachers in the area.

 

Looking at all the caches around the Fort, most of the placers are not local (that's not to say they don't have local maintainers though).

I won't name them here, but some definitely live in England according to their profiles and others that I know or have met personally who are Scots based don't live there either.

 

The majority of caches were placed prior to the "must be a local" rule that lolynn has found. Some of the placers aren't even caching anymore.

 

I believe that the nearest (active) cachers probably live over 50 miles away unfortunately.

 

Posted by an active Scotland based cacher who is also one of the previously mentioned forum administrators.

 

Thanks for the info from all you who have replied, I too had noticed about other caches in the area being placed by people further away than me.

[+Firth of Forth]

Living a long way away from a location does not preclude you from placing a cache; I have caches in Thailand (City of Stars) and in Spain (Huan Robre and ..Y Con Vistas) which are maintained by locals. You need to give contact details for your local maintainer when you submit for publication. It would, however, be easy for someone new to caching to wrongly deduce from seeing such listings that 'holiday' caches' are permissible.

Edited October 11, 2008 by Firth of Forth

[+Haggis Hunter]

Well it doesn't look as if there's much hope for my caches.

 

Whilst I appreciate that the caches shouldn't have been placed, would it not be better to publish the caches so that people can find them rather than them just being left to deteriorate?

 

A note could even be added to the listings so that any cacher finding them can either remove them and utilise them elsewhere or just bin them.

 

The whole purpose of the restriction on 'vacation' caches is so that they don't become geotrash, by leaving them unlisted hence unfound, is this not what they have become?

I can sympathise with your point of view, but to publish your caches would be to set a precedent that others would undoubtedly follow.